Coronavirus Latest Updates: The total number of cases of coronavirus continued to increase across the world, with over 2.38 million confirmed cases and 1,68,918 deaths, Reuters reported. The death toll from coronavirus crossed 40,000 in the United States, the highest in the world. Protests flared in US states on Sunday over stay-at-home orders. Mexico registered a total of 8,261 confirmed cases and 686 deaths on Sunday.Follow Coronavirus India LIVE Updates

Here are the key developments around the globe today:

Singapore reports a record 1,426 new cases, total past 8,000

Singapore reported a record 1,426 new coronavirus cases on Monday, mostly among foreign workers, pushing its total number of confirmed infections to 8,014.

The tiny city-state now has the highest number of cases in Southeast Asia, a massive increase from just 200 infections on March 15, when its outbreak appeared to be nearly under control. About 3,000 cases have been reported in just the past three days.

Low-wage migrant workers, a vital part of Singapore’s workforce, now account for at least 60% of its infections.

Spain’s confirmed cases surpass 2,00,000

In this April 11, 2020, file photo, a volunteer of the Spanish NGO Open Arms pushes in a wheelchair an elderly resident of a nursing home with coronavirus symptoms to a Hospital in Barcelona. (AP)

The number of people diagnosed with the novel coronavirus in Spain has surpassed the 2,00,000 threshold, the country’s health ministry said on Monday. A total of 399 people died of Covid-19 in Spain over the past 24 hours, down from 410 a day earlier. Spain has the second-highest number of diagnosed cases in the world after the United States, according to data from John Hopkins University.

Governors in US states hardest hit by the novel coronavirus sparred with President Donald Trump over his claims they have enough tests and should quickly reopen their economies. (AP/File)

Governors in US states hardest hit by the novel coronavirus sparred with President Donald Trump over his claims they have enough tests and should quickly reopen their economies as more protests are planned over the extension of stay-at-home orders. New York continued to see hospitalizations decline to 16,000 from a high of 18,000, and the number of patients being kept alive by ventilators also fell. There were 507 new deaths, down from a high of more than 700 a day. To get a baseline of how many people were infected with the novel coronavirus, Governor Andrew Cuomo said the state would do the most aggressive anti-body testing in the nation in the next week using a random sample. New York will test 2,000 people a day or 14,000 per week out of the 19 million residents in the state.

The United States has by far the world’s largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases, with more than 740,000 infections and over 40,000 deaths. It took the United States 38 days after recording its first fatality on Feb. 29 to reach 10,000 deaths on April 6 but only five more days to reach 20,000 dead, according to a Reuters tally. The United States’ toll rose to 40,000 from 30,000 in four days after including untested but probable COVID-19 deaths reported by New York City.

New Zealand to ease lockdown measures next week

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern address a press conference at the post-cabinet media conference at Parliament, in Wellington, New Zealand, Monday, April 20, 2020. (AP)

New Zealand will next week ease some of the world’s strictest lockdown measures taken to tackle the spread of coronavirus, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday. In late March, the country of 5 million people introduced its highest, level 4 lockdown measures, shutting down offices, schools and all non-essential services including bars, restaurants and cafes. “We considered that the longer we are in lockdown, the less likely it is we will need to go back,” Ardern said on why the lockdown measures were extended.

According to Reuters, nine new cases of coronavirus were reported in New Zealand on Monday and no new deaths, taking the total number of infections to 1,440 and 12 deaths. The transmission rate in the country is about 0.48 as compared to the overseas average of 2.5 people.

Germany: New coronavirus cases fall for second consecutive day

Germany’s confirmed coronavirus cases increased by 1,775 to 1,41,672, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed, Reuters reported. The number of new cases fell for the second consecutive day on Monday while the total death toll due to the virus stood at 4,404.

Amid a downward trend in new coronavirus cases in South Korea, many people returned to work and crowded shopping malls, parks and golf courses. The Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 13 new cases on Monday, while the death toll stands at 236. The country held the first national elections last week since the epidemic began.

Australians told restrictions must stay even as new virus infections slow

Over 15 Australian economists Monday warned the government against easing social distancing rules aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus even as the rate of infections slowed to a multi-week low, Reuters reported. The country has so far avoided high number of coronavirus casualties after closing its borders and imposing restrictions on public movement. While the measures have brought down new infections to less than 40 cases a day, the restrictions are expected to push unemployment to a 16-year high of around 10 per cent. Australia has reported 6,617 cases of coronavirus and 71 deaths since the first case in late January.

At least 20 employees at Aghanistan’s Presidential Palace have tested positive for coronavirus at Afghanistan’s Presidential Palace, The Associated Press quoted a senior government official as saying. It was not clear whether President Ashraf Ghani had been in contact with any of the employees. Ghani has reportedly been self isolating, even though he meets some senior officials daily.

People keep social distancing amid concerns over the country’s coronavirus outbreak, during a protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, April 19, 2020. (AP Photo)

More than 2,000 Israelis took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Sunday, demonstrating against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempts to form an “emergency” government with his chief rival and accusing him of using the coronavirus crisis to escape prosecution on corruption charges. Demonstrators wore face masks and largely kept their distance from one another, in line with social-distancing rules, as speakers criticized Netanyahu’s possible partnership with rival Benny Gantz. Some held black flags, which have become the symbol of their campaign in recent weeks.